Fishing News index> December 2007

HOLIDAY FISHING ON THE ‘COAST

What a difference a month makes. In the last edition we noted that with “rivers nicely freshened and the lakes topped up all bodes well for some excellent summer holiday fishing.”

 Since then the landscape has become most un-West Coast like.
A month or more of clear skies, low humidity and a merciless sun transformed better drained country into parched brown paddocks, and the main rivers became so low as to reveal previously unseen gravel bars. River-mouth fishing for sea-run browns has been very good but up river, evening nymph fishing over never- before- seen riffles has reportedly been simply outstanding.

But wait, as this is written it is raining again and the predictions are for more, so the original prediction holds.

A feature of fishing on the ‘Coast is that whatever the conditions there are always a range of options for visitors. In the northern part of the region large rivers such as Karamea and Mokihinui often remain fishable during moderate rainfall events and quickly clear after a flood. In the interim there are estuary opportunities available, particularly around flooded margins.

In central Westland smaller rain-fed streams and rivers draining forested catchments often remain fishable in all but torrential rainfall, as do the lakes and outlet streams such as Arnold (Lake Brunner) and Haupiri.
Further south spring fed-streams such as Harris, Murray, La-Fontaine and Waitangi-Taona are seldom completely unfishable, and on the rare occasion when they are Lakes Ianthe, Mapourika, Paringa and Moeraki come into their own.

Unlike the situation in most other regions, anglers visiting the ‘Coast will find a dearth of detailed information on where to go and what to do when you get here.

A pamphlet is available both at sports and tourist outlets – also on fishandgame.org.nz - and this gives an overview of the possibilities. But a feature of the place is the opportunity to discover your own fishing experience, often in the absence of other anglers.

For those planning a trip we wish you all the best. Please return the fish you cannot use and, most importantly, check, clean and dry all gear when moving between catchments.

Chris Tonkin

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